Archers thread #202: How are you finding your visits to Ambridge? Fill in your feedback forms here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed, and of course we are always delighted to welcome back former or occasional listeners/posters. We don't all agree on all points, although we do mostly try to be civil about it. Most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you think working as a hotel receptionist is a perfectly reasonable career choice for a graduate from a family with a stately home, or other unusual views.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please! We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight episodes, but we do try our best to avoid cross-contamination from https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-12-cant-wait-for-702pm-join-us-here, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

For newer listeners, lurkers or those who just have no idea what we're talking about, @DadDadDad has created this useful thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3557323-For-Archers-fans-a-guide-to-acronyms-on-the-long-running-discussion-threads-and-any-other-meta-thread-questions-you-may-have - BOOP point for him! (See thread for explanation.)

Over to you!

I like Harrison. Don’t really get the hate for him on here. He has made mistakes but haven’t we all? I understand that the way he reacted to Fallon’s pregnancy made him unavailable to Fallon when she needed him to be there for her, but don’t think he should be judged for desperately wanting a child. I hope he finds the right partner and can be a parent.
Lily? Not sure if she’s right for him long term but I quite like the vibe for now. .

I wasn't listening during the whole Fallon-Harrison pregnancy thing, but he seems to be behaving well now.
It seems fair enough if he really wants to become a father one day. I don't think he's stupid enough to want to impregnate every woman he dates, and he's very aware of how young Lily is, but it seems reasonable for him to hope for children in his future.
Nobody would think a woman was being all "Mother Earth" if she went on to have a child she wanted in a new relationship after being with someone who didn't want that.
Lily's "Did you fancy me?" sounds typical of the natural self-absorption of many young, attractive people and, imo, nicely observed.
I hope Harrison wakes up, realises it's ridiculous he's living in his soon-to-be-ex MiL's spare room, and moves back to Woodbine.

I thought Lily’s question shows that she understands nothing. Fallon and Harrison had a great marriage until they didn’t. And it speaks volumes that they have continued to reman friends to such an extent that Harrison has moved in with his MIL. That Lily can’t see this only underlines her immaturity - for all her old-beyond-her-years appearances.

LillianGish
That Lily can’t see this only underlines her immaturity for all her old-beyond-her-years appearances.

You've put it better than I did, but yes - that.

I thought Lilian’s question was there to give Harrison the chance to show the listener that he hasn’t been leering over her, or other women. He’s been true to Fallon and would (potentially) be a good loyal partner in his next relationship.

I know it's late but just to say to @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g that I'm sorry for you loss

I should hope he's been converted to Yorkshire Tea by now. Proper tea.

Love Yorkshire Tea!.
I was just wondering why Harrison stayed the night. Surely he would have done the deed and said well that was great but I'd better go before the boys come home. No walk of shame.
You would think he would be extra vigilant as his STBXMIL, would be nosying about to see what time he comes in of an evening, she seems that type. Or maybe her Parrot would set the alarm off. Oh yea where's the cat its never mentioned now.?

I do miss Peggy …

Through her children and grandchildren she remained supremely connected to everything and everyone almost to the end.

Bert obviously is connected (to Horrobins, Carters, Grundys) but he lacks power and money. Though I guess it’s quite clever that he maintains familial influence through neediness rather than largesse and is thus the direct opposite of Peggy.

Throwing Carol into the senior mix after at least a decade of neglect is pointless - nothing she does or says has any significant impact on anyone else who lives in Ambridge - so she just sounds fractious and troublesome without having earned any regard.

Jim gone, Oliver silent, Brian bonkers …

Lynda is the last best hope amongst the elderly contingent - surely they won’t get rid of the Snells? It’s such a shame they haven’t moved Mungo, with at least one of his parents, to the village. That would have given her some traction, now that it looks as if the B and B has had its day. (It would be great if it could be sold as a going concern rather than just a house - though I can’t think who would buy it.)

I doubt that Harrison has a multi-temp Gooseneck kettle. He strikes me as being more of a Poundland mug and cheapest teabags sort of bloke

I don't understand sneery remarks about Harrison.

Why do Robert and Lynda need the income from the B&B? They were a double income, no kids couple for years. Robert would have been paying maintenance for Coriander and Leonie, but that must have ended decades ago. Was he left with debts when his business folded?

Also, they don't live an extravagant life, apart from the llamas. No foreign holidays, in fact no holidays that I can recall. What are they spending their money on?

As a matter of interest, how long have they been married?

Can't remember who asked but I think Russ was about 20 years older than Lily.

One of my sisters was a similar age to Lily when she met her husband who is 14 years older. 30+ years later they are still very happy and enjoying an active retirement.
@BeatriceBatchelor But was her husband still married to your mother's employee and lodging at your uncle's when they first got together?

@LillianGish , (as they say in his native Yorkshire) Harrison isn't from Yorkshire, he's from Lancashire.

@Darker ,I thought Lilian’s question was there to give Harrison the chance to show the listener that he hasn’t been leering over her, or other women.
Blimey, I must have dozed off. Is he shagging Lilian too?

This might help, @VioletMatilda:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2085w56R3kyzZgStgkCSkmD/lynda-snell-from-village-outsider-to-ambridge-treasure

Thanks @TottersBlankly !

But was her husband still married to your mother's employee and lodging at your uncle's when they first got together?

Not to my knowledge but I was referring to earlier discussion about the age difference between Lily and Harrison.

Oh please ... oh please ...

<makes note>

I'd forgotten Russ's special kettle. Did he insist on taking it up to Manchester when he went up there with Lily? Terrrible idea for Lily to share a flat with Russ as a first year undergraduate, to state the blindingly obvious. Why her family didn't intervene is absolutely beyond me.

I get a sedge is withered from the lake, and no birds sing vibe about poor doomed Harrison. He should have avoided her elfin grot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Belle_Dame_sans_Merci

Fallon would do a good job of running a guesthouse but couldn't raise the cash to buy it. However, there might be an Ambridge financial miracle, I suppose.

I don't read that as sneery, because I am very much of the school of not paying a small fortune for a fashionable brand if I can buy something that does the job just as well for a fraction of the price. But then I am Scottish and spent my formative years in Yorkshire.

I thought the sneering was aimed at Russ in this remark - and illustrating Lily’s realisation of what a tosser he was (I imagine it’s one of those relationships where she cringes when she thinks back to it). I think she’s about to make a fool of herself all over again when her relationship with Harrison becomes public knowledge, but she seems to lack any sort of self-awareness and is swept up in the excitement of the secrecy. Harrison should know better, but he’s not the sharpest tool in the box (or the penguin who slides the farthest as they say here in France!)
Superb post by @TottersBlankly re. the oldies and the irrelevance of Carole (who seems to be perfectly symbolized by her bats - ie she is an old bat and like the bats seems to be a protected species herself by the SWs)

I'm aware of that, but Harrison is on the rebound and Lily doesn't seem to know what a healthy relationship is like. Even without an age gap it would seem doomed to fail.

I haven't listened for a few days, but I totally predicted Harrison and Lily would get together.

And it upset me to hear Carol being so uncaring about the bat.

She just wanted to get rid of it, which just felt so unkind to me.

It was a living creature, which may or not have been injured and in need of veterinary care.

Good on Anna for wanting to look after the delicate little creature.

I hope for God's sake Carol never decides to adopt a cat.

For the avoidance of doubt, yes, I was scoffing at “Call me Russ’s” kettle. They were stupidly expensive at the time (and probably still are). I suspect he claimed custody of the kettle when they split.

I still smile when I encounter one IRL.